, 1887-08-11
PEREGRlNATlNG FRUIT DEALERS.
Tho Chap who Sets snares for Unwary
Buyers.


Especial Correspondence
NEW YoRK, June l.
The peregrinating sidewalk merchant is
creature to keep away from in this city. But
not every one succeeds in keeping away from
him. He has snares in the shape of rotten
fruits and stale vegetables aitfuly set for the
trustful and unwary. One might suppose that
in New York every ones caution would be-
come so highly developed that no one would
be taken in Not so. The thief in the dis
guse Of a vender draws victims around him
by the score, takes their money and sends
them on TO regret their folly and to repeat it
the next time they have a chance.
He works on the well known, well worn,
but ever responsive string in the human
heart, the hope of getting something for less
than 1t is worth. Never, never win mortal
man learn that he pays for everything: that
whenever he thinks he gets something FOR
| nothing he Is dead sure to eventually pay for
it twice and thrice over, and mortal woman
will be even slower at learning this regret
/ saving truth. She is the peregriuatiug
merchants particular meat. She fairly
throws her money at him, so anxious IS she 10
secure the deiusions he offers.
Behold the sidewalk fruit fend manipulate
ing Strawberries. He locates near the
market, where people with purchasing intent
must unss him going and coming. When
quart baskets Of Strawberries are selling Mt
/ thirtv-Gve cents elsewhere he displays very
/ fair looking ones labeled in loud figures 10
cents" Everybody pauses, of course, and
nearly everybody buys. Ills stock goes of as
rapidly as AN assistant can wrap up the
| baskets and he can take the change. IL is all
done with so great haste tuat no one can cN-
anime the berries. Crate after crate of bas-
kets disappears; the money rnttles into the
| Golfers OF the constituencies creature az tho
| liveliest rate; the purchasers go home and
. awake TO the bitter fact that not n berry in
their basket is ilt to eat. Even the top layers
are decayed OH the under side, and there is no
redress The wretch who undid them has
worked Off his stool; and departed. To-mor-
row he will be dealing in spoiled lemons on
some other street. and the next day will find
him handling calves lvers OF an uncertain
flavor and dogs meat. He deals only in de-
cayed food of one kind or another. Anything
whole and in good condition is not to his
taste. There is no money in it. He would
have to pay the same price as the regular
dealers for it and sell it at the same. He
couldn't afford it. He is speculator in ruined
edibles; and his profit is from fifty to. a hun
dred per cent. He buys up truck suitable
only for the garbage barrel and makes it out
sell any hot cakes that were ever baked.
There seems to be nobody to call the thievish
sidewalk fruit dealer to account. The board
of health has the authority to cope with HIM
but, alas! it is not always on hand; and he
changes his location and his merchandise sc
often that there is no pinning him down and
proving his villainy
Where does this class Of disguised robbers
come FRONT Quite often they are butchers
assistants who handle meat till o'clock In
the morning, and then throw themselves en-
ergetically into the rotten fruit business fol
three OF four hours. The remainder Of the
day they devote to looking up new stoci
for the morrow. Not all sidewalk vender,
are Of this order; but he Of the cheap fruit
is to be avoided, IL you do not want to vast
your money and lose confidence in your goot
sense at the same time
GERTRUDE GARRISON